PLEASE HELP! Purchased new Mbuna - Is this Fish Tuberculosis!?!?

[cichliduser]

If you've ever bought a fish from a store that gets its fish from farms, you probably already have TB in your tank. Only way to keep the rest from getting it is keeping them happy and healthy enough to not succumb to the disease. Any compromise to their immune system will cause them to succumb, and once they show symptoms there is no going back. Kinda like a reverse AIDS kind of thing. It tends to pop up more in fish that are easily stressed or have inherently weak immune systems.

Wow, that is shocking and a little unsettling but that makes sense. I have purchased fish from many many sources over the years so its safe to assume then my tanks have it.

Its just scary when you go down the google rabbit hole of it being contracted by humans and the articles that basically say you need to euthanize entire tank if you see one sign.

I culled that fish and fingers crossed the white spots on the others go away.

I think I am going to play it safe and still treat all the fish with the quarantine medication trio.

Thank you so much for your input, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Wow, that is shocking and a little unsettling but that makes sense. I have purchased fish from many many sources over the years so its safe to assume then my tanks have it.

Its just scary when you go down the google rabbit hole of it being contracted by humans and the articles that basically say you need to euthanize entire tank if you see one sign.

I culled that fish and fingers crossed the white spots on the others go away.

I think I am going to play it safe and still treat all the fish with the quarantine medication trio.

Thank you so much for your input, it is greatly appreciated.

To me the white spots just look like wounds, fungal infections if anything. Also, don't worry about getting fish TB, I don't remember the statistic but it's either you have a higher chance of getting struck by lightning 3 times, or you win the lottery 3 times before you get it. And that's only if you're sticking your hands in the tank with an open wound.

 

[RD.]

Cryptobia iubilans can be misdiagnosed as mycobacterium (fish TB) but either way, remove that fish & cull. If you want to expand your knowledge, this paper is a good read. SRAC-Publication-No.-4706-Mycobacterial-Infections-of-Fish.pdf (tamu.edu)

Good luck

 

[FJB]

In my opinion, when a fish is afflicted as in the pictures, there is no hope of recovery. Also, as suggested above, the disease is very frequently in tanks, only affecting severely the weakest (immunologically) fish, and no others, at least visibly. So pristine conditions are a must.

 

[jjohnwm]

I'm not going to guess what that fish has, or how to treat it, as I am not up on medicines at all...but I do believe that fish is well past the point of no return. I'd never leave a fish that looked like that with tankmates; it needs to be either isolated in its own tank if you insist upon attempting to save it...or humanely culled, which would be a mercy to it and also the safest course for your other fish.

Culling it will also prevent your stress level from continuing to build and eat away at you for the remaining days that the fish would otherwise hang grimly on, dying a slow and miserable death.

Please use common sense when euthanizing it. It isn't necessary to scour the internet looking for exotic chemicals and potions that are often recommended for this purpose, and using them is not usually the quiet simple procedure that they lead you to expect. It's a 1- or 2-inch long fish; just kill it quickly and humanely and you will both be better off. Good luck and best wishes.

 

[Hybridfish7]

I'm not going to guess what that fish has, or how to treat it, as I am not up on medicines at all...but I do believe that fish is well past the point of no return. I'd never leave a fish that looked like that with tankmates; it needs to be either isolated in its own tank if you insist upon attempting to save it...or humanely culled, which would be a mercy to it and also the safest course for your other fish.

Culling it will also prevent your stress level from continuing to build and eat away at you for the remaining days that the fish would otherwise hang grimly on, dying a slow and miserable death.

Please use common sense when euthanizing it. It isn't necessary to scour the internet looking for exotic chemicals and potions that are often recommended for this purpose, and using them is not usually the quiet simple procedure that they lead you to expect. It's a 1- or 2-inch long fish; just kill it quickly and humanely and you will both be better off. Good luck and best wishes.

I personally have a brick I call "the execution block" for when the occasion calls. I don't actually use the brick itself- I've found the most efficient method (especially since most of my fish are smaller than my hand) is putting them against it and flicking them in the head. Instant; you don't exactly need the force of a punch to kill fish that small. Glad I don't need to use it often however.

 

[cichliduser]

Thank you all so much for the expertise and input, it is beyond greatly appreciated! I feel much more knowledgable and calm about this situation now and that is all thanks to all you contributors and this awesome forum.

I have culled the suspicious fish and am holding off on the quarantine medication trio, just aquarium salt for now. I have noticed incredibly stringy, threadlike white poop so I believe the only issue may be internal parasites (which would explain the sunken belly in some of the fish). I am going to do a seachem Metroplex and Focus mixed into pellets and feed that until symptoms are gone.

Once again thank you everyone!

 

[cichliduser]

Ich maybe? Also white stuff on floor is sand that fell off a rock I added from display tank, not waste.

 

[kno4te]

Could be ich. Are the spots increasing in amount?

 

[cichliduser]

LFS owner thinks it could be columnaris and potentially a secondary infection of ich from the columnaris.
Welp maracyn 2, and salt here I come